KMRI STA 03/01/2023

[David]

The previous thread on KMRI is now locked, but it appears that an engineering STA was granted by the FCC on March 1, 2023. For some reason I can't access the letter from the FCC to KMRI LLC (Barry Wood) on my mobile device, but the STA expiration date is listed as 08/28/2023, which is about four months beyond the current license expiration date of April 21st. I wonder if this means that the FCC has granted Wood some additional time to get KMRI back on the air after the tower collapsed in March 2020. I'll leave it to those who are more skilled at interpreting the FCC database filings than I am to decipher what the STA filing means. 🙂

EDIT: Finally got the letter to display on my mobile device. Apparently KMRI has been granted authority to broadcast with a reduced power of 1 kW and a temporary antenna during daylight hours only beginning on March 9, 2023. And FWIW, Wood's LLC has been renamed to KRGO LLC.

licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1832112

[CAwasinNJ]

A renewal application was filed Feb 22, which is completely separate from any STA. A notice of resumption of operations was filed March 6 (Monday) that states that the station returned to the air March 3 (last Friday) and conducted "nearly an entire day of programming in the public interest from the licensed transmitter site using the temporary antenna described in engineering STA 20230224AAA" That STA is the one that expires Aug 28 which is 180 days from the issue date. The STA was effective immediately. The only references to March 9 are to when the existing license would have expired as a matter of law for being silent 365 days.

[David]

Thanks for the explanation, CA. I still don't understand why the owner keeps fooling around with operating the station just one day a year, instead of reducing the power to 20-50 watts and just leaving the station on the air until the new tower and antenna can be put up. I have to believe that eventually the FCC is going to refuse to sign off on any more one day only STA's unless Mr. Wood can demonstrate that significant progress has been made towards restoration of regular broadcasting. I'd think that someone would have picked up on the Commission's dissatisfaction when the license was only renewed for one year in 2022.

[CAwasinNJ]

The license for KMRI is expiring this Friday 4/21. As far as I know it's only been on the air for one day during the extremely short 1 year renewal. The extremely short renewal was because the FCC was very unhappy with the amount of time the station has been off the air since 2020. The thing is, they have Special Temporary Authority for a temporary antenna at the licensed site which they used for one day on March 3. As David already referred to, I can't imagine the FCC is going to be happy with one day of programming after they specifically said that they weren't happy with the amount of time the station had been off the air for the previous 2 years. Maybe there's some technical reason they couldn't keep the temporary antenna up and running for more than a day, but I would think they'd do everything they possibly could to get and stay on the air to prove themselves as a responsible licensee. It takes a lot to lose a broadcast license (just look at how long it took to revoke WQZS' license), but tempting fate is not recommended.

[kenglish]

What was the original arrangement with the two towers? Was 1010 paying 1550 for use of their tower, as part of the directional array?
Which station was originally on that site?

Seems like 1010 could build the second tower, get back to a workable nighttime signal, and the FCC could require whoever owns KMRI to either get back on the air by renting the new stick, or give up the license entirely.

[CAwasinNJ]

I don't know who owns what (including the land.)

I'm not aware of anything that gives the FCC the power to dictate what a licensee must do as far as their facilities. They can approve or deny the requests the licensee makes, but not initiate anything as far as I know.

[kenglish]

Looks like all that property is owned by the Godfrey Family, according to the County Assessor Office maps.
Is KMRI still paying rent?

[CAwasinNJ]

It's likely true, but do we know for sure they were paying rent in the first place? I can think of at least three plausible ways KMRI might not need to pay rent.

1) KIHU is the primary tenant with the right to sublet and KMRI is the subletor who isn't using it right now.
2) The owner is donating the use of the land for free.
3) There was a fixed amount paid years ago when they moved in.

Not likely I agree, but possible.